Welt-edge hat brim



A. A. HODSHON.

WELT EDGEHAT BRIM; APPLICATION FILED 001.29, 1920.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

TTORNEY m T N E v m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED A. HODSHON', OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HILL AND LOPER COMPANY INCORPORATED. OF DAN BURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION O1 CONNECTICUT.

WELT-EDGE HAT BRIM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

Application filed October 29, 1920. Serial No. 420,362.

To all-whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that I, ALFRED A. HoDsHoN, a citizen of the United btate's, residing at Danbury, county of F airfield, State of (Jonnecticut, have invented an Improvement in VVelt-Edge Hat Brims, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the production of a welt edge, so called, on felt hat brims, that is, an edge formed by rolling the edge of the brim over upon itself, as

distinguished from a cut or raw edge, the" important feature of the present invention being that my novel welt or rolled edge is not appreciably thicker than the brim itself.

With this end in view, 1 have devised the novel edge for hat brims and the method for making the same, which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and using reference numerals to indicate the several parts.

Fig. 1 is a cross section of a hat body at the stage when the felting and sizing operations have been practically completed;

Fig. 2, a cross section of a hat after the edge of the brim has been curled up, with a portion enlarged;

Fig. 3, a cross section of a hat with an enlarged portion showing the curled brim turned down and the enlarged portion showing the extent of a skiving operation adjacent the edge of the brim;

Fig. 4, a cross section of a hat with an enlarged portion showing the position assumed by the brim when the skived portion is folded upon itself and a doubled strip of adhesive placed in the fold;

Fig. 5, a cross section of the hat with an enlarged portion showing the skived part of the brim rolled and sewed down with a chain stitch and after heat and pressure have been applied; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the finished hat with a chain stitching removed or covered by a felting action, and the brim upturned slightly.

1O denotes the hat body of usual construction, which when fully sized and felted, consists of a crown 11 and a brim 12. In order to give the brim a slightly upturned shape in final form, a curl 13 is given to the edge of the brim by application of heat and the use of shackles.

To form the welt edge of this invention the brim must be skived so as to produce a long tapering ortion at the edge of the brim. In pro ucing the desired edge by skiving the curl is turned down as shown in Figure 3, and after being evenly trimmed, is run through a skiving machine with the blade set so as to give the tapered edge 14.

The next step is to turn the curl of the brim upwardly so that it is nearly fiat when the hat is placed upon a bench. While in this position the tapered edge is folded upon itself substantially at its center as shown in Figure 4c, forming the folds l5 and 16 between which a doubled strip of rubber 17, such as used by tailors, or any other form of thermo-plastic adhesive, is inserted between the folds of the tapered edge which now becomes a welt. At this point the hat brim is passed through a sewing machine and a line of chain stitching '18 is applied, care being taken to have the extreme edge 20 overlap the inner edge 21 of the tapered portion very slightly so as to be engaged by a line of blind stitching.

Heat and pressure are next applied so as to soften the rubber and, while the cementing action is proceeding, the welt is flattened by the pressure so as to produce a thickness substantially that of the brim itself.

The brim is then curled upwardly, according to the style desired, the chain stitches removed, and the slightly projecting edge portion at 20 is sewed to the adjacent upper surface of the brim by a line of blind stitching 19, shown in Fig. 6. After the chain stitching has been drawn, a short local felting action is given to the edge so as to cover the thread holes if any show. In some cases the chain stitching may be left and be covered by a local felting action.

Finally the band and bow are applied and other finishing touches are given to complete the hat and put it in marketable condition.

It will be seen that the finished under surface of the brim is brought up and around the edge and back on top of the brim so as to present a finished surface, covering the edge without increasing the thickness of the brim at-the edge.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hat brim having its edge skived and rolled upon the skived portion with a layer of adhesive between the two parts of the rolled portion, the rolled portion being pressed into a welt of athickness uniform with that of the brim and secured to the brim with a line of blind stitching at the skived edge.

2. A hat brim havin its edge skived and rolled upon itself, a strip of adhesive folded upon itself applied within the rolled portion, a line of chain stitching, through the rolled portion and adhesive, and a line of blind stitching on the inner edge of the rolled portion, whereby a welt edge is formed of a thickness practically unlform with that of the brim itself;

3. A hat brim having its edge skived and rolledupon the skived portion at about its centena layer of adhesive intherolled portion, said edge having a port-ion projecting slightly beyond the'layer of adhesive, and a line of blind stitching securing the projecting portion to the brim, whereby a welt edge is formed of a thickness substantially uniform withthat of the brim. i

l-.. A hat brim having its edge skived' and rolled upon itself to bring the lower finished surface of the brim over the outside of the roll, a strip of adhesive between the with that of the brim, consisting of skiving the edge, rolling the skived portiomintermediate its edgesintola welt, inserting adhesive between the two parts of the Welt,

securing the two parts of the welt by chain skived' portion on itself intermediate its insertin adhesive in the welt beedges, tween the folded portions, applying heat and pressure to the welt; and securing: the free edge of the welt to the surface ofthe brim.

7. A hat brim having its edge skivedand folded upon itself intermediate the edges of the skiving, and means for securing together the two portionsiof the fold. V

8. The method of forming a finished edge on a hat'brim which" consists in skivingthe edge of said brim, folding-the skived portionon itself intermediate the edges of the skiving, and securing the folded portions to gether.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

" ALFRED A. HoDsHoN. 

